Shots fired at law enforcement officers near Minneapolis' Fifth Precinct as riots continue
Minnesota governor says state and city do not have numbers to quell escalating unrest
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey appeared together at a news conference early Saturday morning as fires burned across Minneapolis amid the escalating unrest over the death of George Floyd in police custody. Walz said the state and city do not have the numbers to quell the unrest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Department of Public Safety says shots have been fired at law enforcement officers as units move into control crowds that have gathered outside Minneapolis' Fifth Precinct late Friday night.
Our crews have witnessed the crowd standing outside the Minneapolis Police Department's Fifth Precinct off Nicollet Avenue. At the scene, dozens of people are in the area while flames shoot from a Wells Fargo branch not far away.
Windows at the bank's drive thru have been smashed and graffiti has been painted on the walls of the bank.
In a tweet, the Department of Public Safety says it is sending 350 troopers and officers to the Fifth Precinct. Governor Walz also tweeted that National Guard soldiers were on the ground in the city. He is urging people to obey a curfew put in place.
Shortly after, the DPS said shots had been fired but no officers or troopers had been hurt.
It comes about 24 hours after looters forced their way into the Third Precinct on Lake Street, setting a fire that destroyed the building.
The city ordered police to evacuate the building shortly before the flames broke out. It's unclear if the city has made any decisions about the Fifth Precinct.
Friday afternoon, Minneapolis and state leaders issued a curfew set to take effect at 8 p.m. At this point, FOX 9 has not witnessed any significant enforcement of the curfew.